Personal Safety & Security: Fate or Freedom?
Jim Warwick Ed.D.
Law Enforcement Veteran, Founder of Strategic Security Solutions Group (S3G), Speaker and Trainer Specializing in Violence Prevention
During my law enforcement career, I met people from diverse backgrounds. Most of these meetings were the result of someone calling for police services and they usually involved more than one person.?
I did my best to get to know the parties involved. I was surprised to learn that many believed they had little to no control over reducing the likelihood that they might become victims of a crime. In other words, they believed they were unable to take an active role in their personal safety and security. This particular belief system is referred to as external locus of control.
External locus of control is the mindset or belief that external forces, such as fate, luck, or happenstance control one’s destiny. This mindset can leave people feeling powerless to protect themselves.
Navigating life with an external locus of control mindset impacts risk perception, contributing to a sense of inadequacy about mitigating risks effectively. As a result, people tend to be risk adverse. Avoiding risks may lead to missed opportunities and activities for personal growth.
The external locus of control mindset can also lead to a sense of helplessness and anxiety. Feeling powerless can erode confidence and make it difficult to cope with challenges. The opposite mindset is referred to as internal locus of control.
People who place the locus of control internally believe they have command over their destiny. This belief system fosters a sense of empowerment and confidence. They tend to be more assertive, adaptable to change, and willing to assume responsibility for their personal safety and security.
It’s important to know that you have the ability to change your external locus of control belief system to an internal locus of control mindset. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
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1.???? The Practice of Self-Reflection: Through self-reflection, you will be able to identify and reflect on your beliefs about self-control and make appropriate changes.
2.???? Mental Rehearsal/Visualization: When you continually rehearse in your mind how you should respond to a threat you will remove the “shock” factor if it actually occurs. This allows your mind to reference what you’ve rehearsed, increasing your chances of survival and decreasing the likelihood of freezing.
3.???? Acquiring and Mastering New Skills: Learning self-defense and personal protective skills can build confidence, leaving you with a sense of empowerment as you feel more equipped.
4.???? Goal Setting and Achievement: Focus on achieving goals one step at a time. This process, known as segmenting, breaks down large goals into small, manageable pieces without being overwhelmed. Achieving goals increases your self-confidence.
5.???? Positive Self-Talk: Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” On average, we talk to ourselves anywhere from 300 to 1,000 words per minute. If these words are positive, like can do instead of can’t do, they can help override your fear allowing you to respond appropriately to threats.
Having the proper mindset can significantly impact your ability to cope with challenging situations. Adopting an internal locus of control belief system empowers you to prepare for the unexpected.